March 21, 2014

Bernie Madoff Interviews & Other Tall Tales

All Bernie Madoff has left is the iconic (infamous) presence he had created. The media, such as Politico, have already given him five interviews in which he leveraged that con guy identity. Here is MJ Lee's Politico piece.

Since reasonable people can't trust what Madoff tells journalists this is pure entertainment. We sit back and listen to what we have to assume is another Madoff tall tale. We analyze the miscreant's rhetoric devices. We look for signs that he has suffered.

But we can't anticipate gaining any insight into the mind and heart of a villain whose game hurt so many. However, that's the nature of entertainment. In the process, journalists who get access to Madoff enhance their brandnames. With this on their resumes, they will move on to interview other outsized criminals. Given that human beings are wired for gawking, there will be audiences for what the media produce.